


Leverage

by Dweo



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-19
Updated: 2012-01-19
Packaged: 2017-10-29 19:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/323158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dweo/pseuds/Dweo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Some people have too much experience being kidnapped. A fact Lestrade discovers when he ends up tied to a chair next to John and Anthea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leverage

When Greg Lestrade woke up with a pounding headache, his first reaction was to turn around, bury his head in his pillow and not wake up ever again. His second reaction was snapping awake when his first reaction was impossible. As it turned out he wasn't lying in his bed. In fact he was tied to a chair. He looked around, cursing softly and trying to find out what happened. He was met with the sight of two other figures, seemingly unconscious and just as tied to a chair as he was. The moment he recognized John Watson everything came rushing back to him.

He had gone to 221B Bakerstreet to talk to Sherlock about some kids who had gone missing. He ran into John on the way and they had walked to the flat together. The only thing he remembered after that was entering the house, a stinging pain and then nothing. Apparently somebody had kidnapped them. With another curse and a sigh he sat back looking at the other two figures. He had recognised John immediately of course. The woman seemed familiar too, but he couldn't place her for moment.

"John," he said loudly, "John, are you awake?" At these words John stirred and with a groan he came to. Lestrade watched as John's first reaction was to fight the ropes binding him to the chair, almost toppling himself over.

"John, calm down before you hurt yourself." John groaned in reply.

"I think it's already too late for that," John said, his voice laced with pain. Lestrade looked at the man with worry. John's face had turned white. Lestrade took a good look at John and saw that they had cut away John's left trouser leg and roughly used it to bandage his left thigh.

"Damn," Lestrade cursed, "what happened?"

"They were waiting for me, but they got you first and then they didn't expect the resistance I offered." John winched involuntarily, as he flexed his leg

"Where are we?" John added, clearly trying to sound like nothing was wrong with him. He was failing Lestrade noticed.

"I have no idea, some sort of warehouse." Lestrade looked around properly around the dimly illuminated room.

"We're in one of the old abandoned warehouses along the Thames," a calm female voice interjected. Both John and Lestrade turned to the third person in the room. Lestrade immediately noticed she looked stunning.

"Oh no, not you," John groaned. Lestrade was slightly surprise to hear John react with such a way.

"Yes, me," the woman sounded resigned. Lestrade looked between the two of them

"I take it you two know each other, but then again I'm certain know you too."

"I'm Anthea," the woman said throwing and smug look at John, who shook his head resigned.

"How did they get you? I mean you must have more protection than the queen." John suddenly looked sharply at her.

"That's an exaggeration, John and you know it. I might be well protected but hardly that well. They got me the one moment I wasn't monitored, which means they have been watching me."

"Of course," John groaned again.

"But why kidnap us?" Lestrade asked, gesturing between John and himself.

"I've no idea." The woman tried to move. After a few minutes of squirming pulling her hands and shoulders she stilled.

"Sorry John, they did their homework. I'm not getting out of here with out help." She sat back in the chair with a sigh. John, who also had been squirming in his seat, nodded too.

"Me neither." Lestrade who had not even thought about escaping was looking at the two of them questioning their sanity.

"Who are you?" Lestrade decided that his headache was bad enough already and he was in need of some answers. Answers the woman in front of him could give.

"As I said, my name is Anthea." She had her eyes closed.

"That's not her real name," John added very helpfully from the seat beside him.

"No, it is not my real name. But that doesn't matter. I work for Mycroft Holmes." Lestrade sighed and closed his eyes. Of course, this was all about the Holmes brothers.

"But I rather talk about something much more interesting,' she said after a few moments of silence.

"Like?" Lestrade asked. Resigned.

"Well, I would very much like to know why a handsome man like you is still single." If Lestrade didn't know any better he thought she was flirting with him. The groan coming from John sounded rather frustrated for some reason.

"How?" he asked.

"Your clothing is death give away. Most of the suits you wear are several years old. Your newer clothes are of a far inferior quality and are the wrong colour. Nobody is telling you that this colour drains you. So you are buying your own clothes. You no longer wear your wedding ring. The traces of the sweet and sour chicken balls on your left lapel show that nobody pointed out you were making a mess of last night's dinner." Lestrade felt his eyes grow wide and he tried to look at his lapel for the spots. It was all correct of course. His ex wife had bought his clothes and before that his mother, so buying clothing was new for him and a lot more difficult than he had expected.

"Also," she added after a few moments, "I watched you on CCTV of course."

"Apparently it's catching," John said matter of factually. The other two looked at him.

"You sounded just like them," John didn't have to add who he meant. There was an undefined look in her eyes for a moment as she apparently thought about it and then she grinned.

"I'd really like for you to buy me a drink," she said to Lestrade with a brilliant smile. John looked suspiciously at her. It was clear he was forming a theory about something.

"We have been kidnapped and you are talking about dates," Lestrade said, knowing he sounded a slightly bit hysterical.

"Yeah, why not?" she sounded genuinely surprised at his words. John closed his eyes and threw his head back.

"Of course, she even has the same lack of common sense as them," he murmured under his breath. Then Lestrade shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind, which made his head hurt even more than it already did.

"All right why not, if we all make it out alive I'll buy you drink. Hell, I'll buy you dinner and a film too if you want." Anthea looked like a small child on Christmas morning. John on the other hand seemed to signal something with his eyes. Whether it was a warning, jealousy or pity Lestrade wasn't sure.

They sat in silence for an undefined time when Lestrade watched as John was turning whiter as the makeshift bandage around his leg was getting redder.

"We need to get out of here," Anthea suddenly said "John needs to get medical help."

"I'm fine," John said, but it was clear from his voice he wasn't.

"We need to know why they are keeping us," Anthea said and to Lestrade's surprise fro the first time there was something desperate in her voice.

"Leverage." A new voice came from the corner of the room. A tall man dressed completely in black stood looking at them. Lestrade couldn't see his face, as it was hidden behind a balaclava pulled tightly down.

"Why on earth would you kidnap us for leverage?" Lestrade demanded.

"We don't need you. You were just on the wrong place on the wrong time. It was easier for us to just take you with us." Lestrade sighed. This was bad news for him he knew, because it meant he was dispensable.

"Why did you take us for leverage?" Anthea asked, her voice way too steady for the situation.

"Both of you are valuable to two very powerful man who are investigation something they should keep their noses out off. And we decided that the best way to achieve that was to get something they value the most in the world. "

"Us," John said. Lestrade felt slightly worried about the man who was clearly not well.

"Yes, you." At those words the man turned around and started to walk away. Just as he walked around the corner John's head lolled forwards

"John," Lestrade yelled. Their kidnapper stopped in his tracks.

"You have to untie him he needs medical help. He needs to lie down. He is not doing to well," Anthea said almost desperately.

John looked at Lestrade and to Lestrade's surprise there was much more fire in his eyes than he had expected and John's voice and posture suggested.

The man returned and looked at John who was almost hanging in his bonds looking positively snow white.

"Damn," the man cursed and he pulled out a knife and cut John loose, who fell out of the chair with thud. The man checked him over and then cursed again

"I'm getting some help I can't have you die under my watch." at those words he almost ran away, leaving an insensible John on the floor. The moment the man was out of their sight John sat up, his face still grimaced but nowhere as pained as it had been only seconds before.

"Good," Anthea said, as she sat up straight again. "There's knife in my left shoe, so you can cut us loose." Lestrade looked at the two of them with surprise. They were al together too practised and too unconcerned about it all.

"Are you all right?" Lestrade asked.

"Yes," "Of course he is," the other two said simultaneously.

"Don't worry about it, this isn't the first time. I'm used to it by now."

"You're... This isn't the sort of thing you're supposed to become used to!"

"Well blame Sherlock. It's usually his fault and if it isn't, she usually has something to do with it," John said matter of factually as he carefully started to cut through the ropes. "It is her boss who kidnaps me at least once a month."

"And you?" Lestrade said desperately for some sanity.

"Occupational hazard." She shrugged her shoulders.

The moment the robes dropped she stood up and held out her hand. John looked at her and then handed her the knife clearly realising she would be quicker in cutting Lestrade's ropes. A few minutes later Lestrade could join her, walking away the pins and needles in his legs. John on the other hand was still sitting on the floor.

"If you two could please help me up?" he said after a few attempts of getting himself up. The moment they had John on his leg it became clear John wasn't going anywhere.

"Just leave." John sat down on one of the chairs.

"Stop being so tediously noble" Anthea said. "That's what gets you into trouble every time. Besides Sherlock would kill me if I left you behind." They sat in silence John glowering at Anthea and she looking back at him unconcerned. Then they both turned to him.

"You go," they said simultaneously.

"And leaving you two behind?" Lestrade said

"Use common sense," John said, "I can't go. She for some reason is scared of Sherlock, and if we all stay here nobody is going to go anywhere ever again. Besides you're not even supposed to be here"

Lestrade nodded, knowing John was right. So he ran to the door of the room, looked into the next one and cursed to himself. He turned around and ran back to them.

"Well, we can forget escaping that way. There are about six men in the next room."

"Then we barricade this door and hope that at least one person has noticed our absence." At those words she started to drag chairs and other things to the door. They sat waiting, listening as suddenly a loud bang told them the men on the other side had discovered they weren't getting in. When even shooting the door didn't work it became silent for a moment.

And then all hell broke lose and there was even more shooting, no longer at the door, but coming from outside.

"Ah, the cavalry has arrived," Anthea said with a smile.

Ten minutes later Sherlock was standing in the doorway looking in horror at the scene in front of him. Mycroft immediately walked past him and to his assistant. But Sherlock's eyes were flitting between her and John clearly torn between them and unsure what he should do.

"Sherlock," Anthea's voice suddenly broke through to him and he moved towards her.

"No, John needs you," she said decisively. Lestrade looked in surprise at the two of them. They seemed to be talking without words for moment. And then Sherlock rushed to John, falling on his knees before him.

"Are you all right, John? Please say you're all right"

"I'm fine, Sherlock. But I like to know what that was all about," John asked the one question Lestrade also wanted to ask.

"They kidnapped you and Ford." John raised an eyebrow and then looked at the woman standing already next to Mycroft. Then Lestrade looked between them and he groaned loudly.

"Please, tell me I'm seeing things," he groaned into his hands. Had he finally met a woman who was lovely, smart, liked to talk to him and beautiful to boot, turns out she was a bloody Holmes.

John, who was clearly fighting to stay conscious, looked between them confused.

"Who is Ford? What are you seeing?" He turned his head to Lestrade, his voice and face contorted with pain.

"It doesn't matter, John. We need to check you out." Sherlock threw Lestrade a look that told enough.

"I'm right, am I? You're a Holmes too. Aren't you?" he asked the moment he stood next to her. Mycroft had left to talk loudly on his phone

"Sherlock is my twin." This immediately destroyed any thoughts of dates he ever had.

"I can see that and it explains so much. Including the lovely dear caught in a headlight look on Sherlock's face."

"Yeah, he never could handle me being in danger. It generally causes him to lose his head the moment the danger has passed. Unfortunately he now has somebody else to worry about," she said with sigh, as they looked at Sherlock fussing over John, who was trying to hold off Sherlock's wandering hands.

"They will be all right," Mycroft said as he walked up to them. "And how are you doing?" He looked her over, clearly wanting to make sure she was fine himself.

"Fine." There was a sudden gleam in her eyes as she took Lestrade's hand. "Excuse us. We have diner, drinks and a film to get too. See you later." And with a kiss on Mycroft's cheek she took Lestrade's hand and marched them out of the building.


End file.
